An hour and a half later, Lenore had finished her homework and was curled up next to Elliot on the couch watching T.V. They were watching her favourite show – Baywatch.

On a commercial break, Elliot decided to discuss something with her. “Do you feel up to school tomorrow?”

“No!” Lenore answered quickly, moving to look at him, causing her to wince.

“Hey, hey, take it easy,” Elliot told her not wanting her to hurt herself any. “I was thinking maybe you should stay home for a couple of days, to give your ribs time to heal some.”

“Only a couple?” Lenore repeated, looking a bit nervous about that.

“We’ll see how it goes, alright?” Elliot replied. “I mean, who knows, in a couple days, we could have these guys locked up.”

Lenore rolled her eyes. “Doubtful.”

“What’s so doubtful about it?” Elliot demanded.

“It always takes you guys at least a week to get the bad guy in jail,” Lenore rejoined. “I mean, the last one took you two weeks!”

“Lenore, we’ll catch these guys,” Elliot stated firmly. “Trust me. We’ll have them in jail as soon as possible.”

“Just don’t take a month,” Lenore pleaded. “I don’t think I can go that long without leaving the house.”

Elliot shook his head. “We’ll figure the rest of it out in the morning.”

“Okay,” Lenore shrugged, snuggling back into him as Baywatch came back on. “Shh…”

Elliot rolled his eyes, but kept quiet as she’d requested. He had the remote, so he could change the channel eventually – but he didn’t care to listen to her complain if he changed the channel during her show. Besides, it wasn’t the most violent thing out there, and the less violent shows she liked, the better.

Lenore stifled a yawn, as she watched David Hasselhoff rescue Hobie from the side of the cliff he was trapped on. Hobie was stuck there, because he’d thrown a party and someone had stolen his father’s hang-glider – which was why both boys were now on the side of the cliff. The one who’d stolen it had tried to fly it and Hobie had tried to stop him.

“Would you be mad if I did something like that?” Lenore asked out of the blue.

“Madder than you’d care to know,” Elliot replied. “It was a stupid thing to do. The party and the hang-gliding thing.”

Lenore turned slightly and carefully to smile up at him. “Good thing you don’t have a hang-glider, so I’ll never be temped to do that.”

“Yeah, good thing,” Elliot agreed, smiling back, knowing she was just teasing.

Lenore leaned up carefully to kiss his cheek, then snuggled back into him as he made a great pillow. She yawned once more, and closed her eyes as her show ended, knowing he’d let her stay where she was – for now.

Eventually, Elliot carried Lenore on upstairs to her room and tucked her into bed. He’d left her in her clothes, only taking her socks off her feet. He knew how she felt about socked feet in her bed touching her sheets. He kissed her forehead, then returned back downstairs and picked up the phone, calling the station. He wanted to know how the investigation was going.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Captain,” he said. “It’s Elliot.”

“I know who it is, Elliot,” Captain Craigen told him. “And nothing’s developed yet. Apparently, nobody heard or saw a thing.”

“What?!?” Elliot exclaimed. “It was broad daylight out!”

“You know how people are when it comes to these things – they don’t want to get involved,” Captain Craigen reminded him.

“I’d get involved – whether I was a cop or not,” Elliot stated, feeling his anger start to emerge. “Maybe I should bring Lenore in with me tomorrow and leave her there, and help out with the investigation. I mean, who knows, maybe we’ll have more luck with four of us working the case.”

“Elliot, see how she is in the morning, before deciding anything,” Captain Craigen told him. “You haven’t even gotten through tonight yet. She’s probably going to want to keep you to herself tomorrow.”

“Well, if she doesn’t mind hanging out at the station all day, then I’ll be in,” Elliot told him. “I can’t just ignore this case. Not when it involves her.”

“I understand that, but you have to do what’s best for her – not just join the case because you want to kill who hurt her,” Captain Craigen said. “And Elliot – no killing them when we find them – not unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Don’t worry Captain. I have restraint,” Elliot replied.

“Elliot, I know you, and I know how you get when somebody you love gets hurt,” Captain Craigen replicated. “Don’t go treading in deep water because I’m not always going to be able to cover your ass or Olivia’s.”

“I know that, Captain,” Elliot answered. “I’m not asking you too. All I want it to help find these bastards and have them rotting behind bars for the rest of their lives.”

Captain Craigen sighed. “Call me in the morning and let me know what’s up.”

“Alright,” Elliot replied. “And Captain – call me if anything comes up, no matter what time it is.”

“You have my word,” Captain Craigen responded. “The moment something arises, I’ll give you a call. Get some rest Elliot; you’ll need it.”

“Yes, Sir,” Elliot nodded, though he couldn’t be seen. “Talk to you in the morning.”

“In the morning,” Captain Craigen agreed, as they both hung up.

After hanging up the phone, Elliot cleaned the house up a bit, then headed on upstairs to bed himself – not knowing he’d be woken up in a few short hours.

“They’re going to get you, you know,” a boy with dark brown hair told her. “They know where you live. They’ve seen you before.”

“Hobie?” Lenore said looking and sounding confused. “What are you doing here? I thought you were grounded?”

“I am,” Hobie replied. “But I had to warn you. They’re going to come looking. They know they didn’t kill you. They need you to do something for them, remember?”

Lenore frowned a moment, not understanding. “What are you talking about?”

“They beat you up because you refused to do them a favour,” Hobie continued. “Not because you saw them kill that guy. They need you to help them deliver, but you refused.”

“What was I supposed to do? Agree?”

“They wouldn’t have beaten you up then,” Hobie pointed out. “They’d have just let you walk away from them and that alley.”

“Yeah, and then Elliot would smack my butt so good when he found out, I’d never be able to sit again!”

“No he wouldn’t. He hasn’t spanked you, since you were ten years-old,” Hobie reminded her. “He would’ve let you explain, and then you could’ve told him everything.”

“Why can’t I tell him everything now?”

“He’ll be mad you didn’t tell him in the first place, stupid,” Hobie stated. “And then he’ll know you didn’t go to see who needed help – you went because you like the one guy and wanted to see what he was up too.”

“I did not! You’re making this up!”

“Fine. Then continue to be stupid. They’re going to kill you no matter what you do, and you know it. Especially since word will get out that the cops are looking for them. You should’ve just kept your mouth shut or lied and said you got beat up at school.”

“But he can tell when I’m lying!”

“Then become a better actor! But whatever you do, you can not tell him why you really got beat up!”

“But I hadn’t planned on them initiating me! It just happened!”

“You weren’t supposed to have talked to them at all – no matter what! You were forbidden to talk to them or go anywhere near them!”

She looked at him worriedly. “Elliot’s gonna be mad at me! No matter what I do!”

“Then you should’ve never said hello then!”

“I was just trying to be nice!”

“To drug dealers?”

“How was I supposed to know?”

“Elliot warned you to steer clear! He told you to come home a different way! You just couldn’t steer clear!”

“I’m an idiot, I know! Alright?”

Hobie shook his head. “No. It’s not all right. Because you were stupid, they’re going to kill you – and maybe Elliot too.”

“Nobody can kill Elliot! He’s invincible!”

“Nobody’s invincible – not even Elliot.”

“Shut-up!”

The scenery changed then, and suddenly Hobie smirked evilly. “You were warned not to tell.”

Lenore’s eyes went wide as she saw the gun in his hands, and Elliot standing there with the gun pointed at him.

“NO!” She screamed. “Don’t kill him! Please!”

“All you had to do was keep your mouth shut!” Hobie growled, as he pulled the trigger.

“NOOO!” Lenore shrieked, bolting forward, as Elliot fell to the ground in a heap.

Elliot came running when he heard the shrill scream coming from Lenore’s room. He quickly entered with his gun drawn, thinking there was somebody in there with her. He was surprised to see her sitting upright and attacking the pillow at her feet.

“Leave him alone! Leave him alone!” Lenore screamed in her sleep, thrashing about.

Elliot quickly put the safety on his gun and set it upon her night table. He then gently grabbed hold of her and pulled her close to him. “Shh…”

“Leggo! Leggo! Leggo!” Lenore screamed, now hitting him.

“Lenore! It’s me, Elliot!”

“Elliot?” Lenore repeated, suddenly waking up some. She shook her head to clear the fog that seemed to have invaded her brain. “What – What happened?”

“You had a nightmare, Kiddo,” Elliot replied, hugging her tight.

“Oh…” Lenore said softly, highly relieved it had only been a dream. “Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Elliot told her. “Care to tell me what it was about?”

“Just – what happened,” Lenore answered quietly, still not sure if what was said in her dream was actually true or not.

“What about it?” Elliot asked. “Did you remember anything?”

“I’m – not sure,” Lenore said honestly. “Just – they’re going to kill me.”

“Lenore, they’re not going to kill you,” Elliot stated firmly. “I’m not going to let them anywhere near you.”

“You can’t always stop them from doing what they wanna do,” Lenore whispered. “And they hafta know by now I’m alive and that you guys are looking for them. I mean, what if they kill you?”

Elliot looked down at her, as she looked up at him – fear evident in her hazel eyes. “Honey, they’re not going to kill me – especially not if Liv is around. You have to trust me on this.”

“But what if one day you do die on the job after promising me you won’t get killed?” Lenore questioned. “Then what?”

“Then – we cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“How do we cross it if you’re dead?” Lenore snapped, starting to become angry again. “Hmm, Elliot? Then what am I supposed to do?”

“Lenore…” Elliot trailed off warily.

“Well? What do I do then? If you get killed, I have no where to go! You’re the only one I’ve got left! I can’t lose you too! I just can’t!”

Elliot pulled her into his lap so that she was straddling him, as she sat upon his legs. He lifted her chin up with his hand and looked directly into her eyes. “Nothing is going to happen to me during this case,” he stated firmly. “You don’t need to be worrying about things like that. It’s my job to worry about you – not the other way around. Your job is to relax, be a kid, have fun, and go to school, not worry about me. My job is to worry about you and catch the perps who insist on hurting innocent people.”

“But I’m scared,” Lenore admitted, sniffling some. “You’re all I’ve got left. If I lose you, I’ll have nobody.”

“You won’t have nobody,” Elliot assured her. “You’ve got Liv, Munch, Fin, and the Captain. I know they may not seem like much – but you still have them. And besides, I know Cathy adores you and the kids enjoy your company.”

“But what if they hate me, ‘cause I’m hogging you?”

Elliot shook his head, smiling slightly. “You really worry too much, Kiddo.”

Lenore sighed as she snuggled into him. “I can’t help it. Especially since those – those goons are after me.”

Elliot hugged her as close to him as possible. “Those goons are going to rot in jail soon as we get our hands on ‘em. I promise.”

“I love you,” Lenore whispered quietly, closing her eyes as she tried to stop her tears.

Elliot rubbed her back affectionately. “I love you too, Honey.”